Evaluation of optimal route selection for public transport network routes on urban roads using Fuzzy‐TOPSIS method

Abstract

In developing countries such as India, Bengaluru city has experienced extraordinary growth in vehicle traffic on arterial roads, causing intersections to operate over capacity under mixed traffic conditions. The speed on urban streets in central business district areas is lower than 15 kmph during peak hours. One of the main routes connecting the airport to the central business district is also vulnerable to this problem. Therefore, providing an alternative route to divert traffic from the mainstream is critical. This study's main goal is to identify alternate routes from Majestic to the airport using remote sensing and a geographic information system, and then evaluate those alternates using the Fuzzy‐TOPSIS approach. This study has used the GIS Arc software application to select the alternative while taking numerous factors such as time, speed, distance, environmental impact, and economic feasibility into consideration. The video graphic and moving car observer methods have been used for the extraction of data for the inventory of the existing route, while the geo image processing tool has been used to analyze alternative routes in the Bengaluru metropolitan area (BMA). The analysis has shown that the alternative route has a lesser travel time of 2 h 30 min in public transit and 1 h 30 min in private mode. The future scope of the study is to compare the alternative and the most suitable routes to divert traffic. Another public transport route network could be developed to minimize the external incoming vehicles in BMA, particularly to reach the airport on urban roads under heterogeneous traffic conditions.